Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino (Italy)

The rest of our time in SML was spent eating…

Actually, that’s not entirely true. We just did things that don’t really warrant pictures, like lounging around on the rooftop pool, reading outside on our balcony, and playing Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing (but not for too long bc we didn’t have a way to charge the battery).

The duomo of SML wasn’t a recommended sightseeing spot, but the Lion and I went in on a whim one day and found one of the most ornate cathedrals we’ve seen on this trip. The basilica of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, was built in 1658 on top of remnants of a 13th century church. The inside was quite magnificent, with crystal chandeliers and columns, walls, and ceilings lined with gold. It really took our breaths away when we walked in!

The day we had to leave SML, we took a cab ride over to Portofino, the wealthy city-next-door to SML. Portofino is a fishing village, but the natives have really taken advantage of their location and turned the place into a luxury resort for the rich and famous.

We walked up to see Castello Brown, a castle that was built in the 15th century and used for various military purposes. In the 1860s, an English consul named Montague Yeats Brown purchased the castle and turned it into a villa. Then, in the 1949, Brown’s descendants sold it to another English couple, who then sold it to the city of Portofino a couple decades later in the early 1960s. The view of the harbor was beautiful from up top, but we didn’t get to see inside the castle because it turned out there was an admission fee…

Just before we had to head back to SML to go to the airport, we stopped by Divo Martino (partly to see this recommended sight but also to catch a break from the sun), a 12th century church built for St Martin. See pic here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ltangelini/2330481704/

Last but not least:
Four-seasons pizza with olives, artichokes, ham, mushrooms with a drizzled of spiced evoo… Awes.